Breakfast at Goosenecks State Park...

was spent in the company of this fellow (click images to enlarge):

But the real focus of my attention was the deeply incised San Juan River, more than 1,100 ft from rim to river, flowing lazily through the tortuous meanders that inspire the name of this viewpoint:

Most of the stratigraphic section you see in this image is comprised of the Honaker Trail Formation (Pennsylvanian).  In fact, the type section is a short distance down canyon from this vantage point, and in 2006, I hiked the trail down to the river and back.

Diligent kitchen helper...

Condor chick about to hatch...

at the San Diego Zoo in the next day or so, and you can watch live via the on-line condor cam.  And don't forget about the eagle cam in Iowa where three eggs are expected to hatch by the end of the month.

Operation hatch-watch commences...

at this bald eagle nest in Iowa. There are three eggs in the nest being tended to by mom and dad, and the chicks are expected to hatch near the end of the month of March.  Enjoy.

Doggie DJ...

I shot some eagles...

today with my long lens, and here's the bounty for the efforts.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did while visiting Beauty Bay this late morning (click images to enlarge):

Two of more than thirty I spied today:

A juvenile in flight:

And an adult:

Artsy view of a perch:

And a tricked-out cell tower:

Image details: Canon EOS 30D with 400 mm EF lens on monopod.

Recently discovered itsy-bitsy...

teensy-weensy frog in Papua New Guinea is world's smallest known vertebrate.  Two of them can sit side-by-side on a dime.  Here's a pic.

UPDATE: Angler Fish Challenges Frog's 'Smallest' Title.

I think he likes it...

Prairie dogs tango with a Roomba...

This beluga's got rhythm...

I need a bigger bird bath...

to accommodate the regular early-morning visits from several Great Horned Owls (click images to enlarge):

I spied three adult individuals competing for time in the bath this morning while the sprinkler pelted them with water:

And I just missed catching two at the same time sharing the much too small basin:

Apologies for the poor quality images and glare - I was snapping them surreptitiously through a window in pretty low light - but here's a reasonably decent shot:

Determination...

Watch the world's largest shark tank...

via a live streaming webcam until 7 August.  Play it in full screen mode and sit back and enjoy.  Mesmerizing.

What I'm reading...

right now:  The Wolverine Way by Douglas Chadwick.  It's an excellent description of a five-year study in Glacier National Park of one of the most fierce and tenacious creatures in the Rockies.  Outstanding tale, but perhaps a bit too much anthropomorphizing.

And just in time for my summer field class at, um, Glacier National Park.

For Mother's Day...

Zooborns

Pool time for pachyderms...

Live eagle cam...

spying on a nest in Iowa, with chicks about to hatch in the next several days, provided by the Raptor Resource Project.  Very cool.

UPDATE and BUMPED:  Eaglets are hatching!  Two of the three eggs have hatched.  Have a look.

Camera traps...

reveal secret animal worlds.  I particularly like the blood pheasant and the jaguar.

I've considered purchasing a trail camera, not for hunting, but for capturing images of nocturnal visits by animals to my feeding stations.  Someday.

Bioturbation caught on video...

Secrets of Swimming in Sand Revealed.

If you're a serious student of sedimentology, be sure to watch the excellent video at the link.

The End Times are nigh...

• Mystery of Mass Animal Death Epidemic Deepens
• Mass Animal Deaths on Google Maps